Method of securing ranges of short plank in pavements



UNITED Sew-ENT OFFICE-f Y JosEPHn. wann, ori sai-Louis, MISSOURI.` i

l `ivrEfrHon oF sEcURnve RANGEs or sHon'r PLANK 1N PAvEMENTs.

specification of Letters ratentxno. zsssgdatearebruary 11, 1851.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Iosnrrr E. VVAnn, of

` the city of St.fLouis and county of St.

Louis and State of Missouri, `have invented a new and useful Improvementin Street and Road Flanking, which is "described as follows, referencebeing had to the annexed drawingsof the same, forming a part of thisspecification. Figure 1, is a topview of a section of streelt laid `downon `my plansupposing the section to be 25 feet long. Fig. 2, is a crosssection of a street so built, showing the method adopted for securingthe various parts, and also the position ofthe pipes, and the properangle of the` curb, to cause it to overlap, and hold down the ends of`the planks. Fig. 3, is an enlarged view ofthe short pieces used in thedetachable range the end and side bevels being exhibited. Fig. 4E, showsthe forms of the staple and key-for fastening the plank down. Fig. 5, isa separate view of the fastening used.

Similar letters refer .to corresponding parts. i The nature of thisinvention and improvement consists in a method of securing certain partsof planking on streets in such a manner as to permit their removal, soas to reach pipes or sewers underneath, the planks being cut in shortpieces for such ranges and with such bevels or overlaps as to cause onepiece to aid in holding down the other. The pipe when laid down inthemiddle of the street requires the removable range also i-n the center,and otherwise when the pipes are laid near the sides of the street, themain part of my invention being in the method of cutting the ends of thepermanently fastened planks under so as to offer quite an overlappinganglethe sleepers as a matter of course over the removable range beingjust so wide apart as is needed for trenches, &c., the removable shortpieces being designed to cover the space designed to be occupied bypipes, &c., being about- 3 feet commonly. The sleepers in all otherparts of the street ought to be about 4.1% feet apart. The removablepieces are cut with an angle of about 1 in 3, being the same angle as isintended to cut on the end of the permanent planks the space between theremovable range and the curb is about five feet wide, and is covered asfollows: The ends of the planks intended for this space are cut at anangle of about 90, which conforms to .and sides if need be.

the angle of the curb. The inside sleeper is. laidclose to the curb,andif `the short piece 1s properly cut its` angle or overlap will holdthe end of the piece between it and the curb down by meansof acorrespending angle cut upon it, and by a key that is driven into theshort piece. Consequently the four` ends of the planks thus cut are helddown by one fastening.` This part of the invention is as follows: Astaple or eye bolt is intended to, be driven down into the sleeper thatthe` ends' ofthe short planks rest upon, and close to the side and endof the removable pieces, the staple is to be driven down so as to leaveenough above` the face of the sleeper to form an eye for the` receptionof a key which passes through the eyeinto a hole bored into the side ofeach short removable piece. distances of 25 feet I use ascrew ofsufficient size which is inserted from the top the plank beingcountersunk by boring an auger hole about 111; inches deep. This sinksthe head of the screw out of the action of the wheels, &c. y The hole ofthe counter I lill with melted rosin or other suitable waterproofmatter. i i

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its `construction and mode of operation.

A is the planking; B B, lines of short removable pieces of planks; C,form of screw used in fastening; D, gutter; E, curb; F, sidewalk; a b,key and staple fastenings.

Its construction is as follows: The part of the street designed to bepermanent is laid as is usual excepting the ends of the planks'that arenearthe line of any water or gas pipe. -Those ends are cut with a bevelof one inch in three. The pieces to be removed are cut with the samebevel ends The end of the short piece will therefore pass under thelapping angle of the permanent plank. The piece then to fill the spacebetween the short piece and the curb must be cut at its outer end withthe same bevel as the others. The inner end must then be cut with thesame angle as the curb. The fastenings are a screw,

staple and key. The screw may be the com` mon `bed-screw, and ought tobe galvanized.

The key is made about inch thick at the thickest part and tapering toinch and has a lug like a sprig, by which to draw it out of thejwood.The key should also be galvanized. The key may either be an eye-bolt ora common staple 4 inches long 2 inches of it driven into the sleeperleaving enough for an eye.

To fasten the range, lay your short piece against the end of thepermanent plank, then introduce the piece to reach to the curb betweenthe curb and the end of the short piece having the bevel cut so as tomake a somewhat tight. fit, then drive down the staple to the properdepth. Aftery scribing the center of the eye raise the short piece andbore va little higher than the center making the hole a sixteenth lessthan the key, lay the piece down in its place and then drive the key in.The key draws the short piece close to the sleeper, by the bevels actingas Wedges the pieces press with great force against the ends of thepermanent plank and the curb lay down 24 feet in this way, and then usea screw, bore a hole l inches deep and one inch diameter, then bore intothe plank and sleeper with a three-eighths auger drive with a key if asquare head is used. When sufficiently down pour a little melted rosininto the counter, then commence as before with staples and keyfusing ascrew at every distance that a house may occur. Square staples may beused, and for greater security they may be driven so as to clamp thepieces with great iirmness. The headof the key requires a notch in thecontiguous piece for its reception.

The operation is as follows: Proceed to the nearest screw fastening andwithdraw it, then raise as many short pieces as may be deemed requisiteby extracting the keys. When the object is accomplished relay as in therst place.

That I claim as my invention andl desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The method above described of securing ranges of short pieces of theplanking of a street or road in longitudinal lines over water or gaspipes by means of screws or keys with staples aided by the double bevelof the short planks, and the ends of the permanent interval plankssecurely holdino', and permitting of the easy removal of sucb shortpiece.

JOSEPH E. WARF Witnesses: l

S. M. LELAND, GEO. W. HYUEMBOURG.

